Musicians, horse and dog start trek to Co.

Hannah Lauzon, playing her nyckelharpa, and Kevin Harvey, playing his octave mandolin, perform on Main Street in Hendersonville on Friday. The two, along with their horse and dog, are making their way from Asheville down to Georgia for the winter and then to Colorado, or wherever fate takes them, according to Harvey. The musicians have a blog about their travels, FiveCentFiddle.blogspot.com.

MIKE DIRKS/TIMES-NEWS

By NANCY TANKERTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Friday, October 18, 2013 at 4:46 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 18, 2013 at 4:46 p.m.

There's a certain freedom in not knowing exactly where you are heading from day to day.

“We are traveling from Asheville to ... we don't know where, but we like the idea of Colorado, although we might hit New Orleans first,” said Kevin Harvey, 26, standing on the sidewalk of Hendersonville's Main Street on Friday, taking a break to play his shiny octave mandolin for passersby.

Beside him stood Meadow Lark, a silky smooth brown mare who was relaxing and enjoying herself in the mid-60-degree temperatures.

Five feet away sat Harvey's fiancée, Hannah Lauzon, who was deep in thought repairing a nyckelharpa, an instrument played with a bow that she described as Sweden's national instrument.

Beside their horse leaned a mountain bike. Lauzon will be riding Meadow Lark and Harvey will be riding his mountain bike from Swannanoa to Colorado — at least that's the plan for the moment — with Olive following close behind.

Harvey's hodgepodge group was passing through town, they explained, while playing some music on their way, collecting tips to use for meals and other expenses.

“There are no deadlines in our world,” Harvey said with a smile. “Anything we tell you about our destinations is tentative. We tend to just go through towns because we want to play. We play music and meet people wherever we are.”

Lauzon is a recent graduate of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, where she earned her bachelor's degree in biology last year. But biology didn't matter Friday. Sitting near her future husband, with her trusty steed and her sleeping dog, Olive, lying asleep beneath her feet, Lauzon deliberately carved her nyckleharpa keys thinner to counteract the humidity in the air.

“They say if you are going to be a nyckleharpa player, you have to be a nyckleharpa mechanic,” she said.

“They should say that about a horse, too,” Harvey added with a laugh.

Harvey is a recent graduate of UNCA with a music technology degree.

“They have the best professors in the world,” he said as he resumed playing his mandolin in front of Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique. As he started to talk about his favorite UNCA professor, the “inspirational” Jude Weinberg, a local musician walking by stopped in his tracks, transfixed by Harvey's playing.

“What is that?” asked Rob McGregor of Flat Rock. “It looks like a mandolin but it's so big. I want one! The resonator really projects.”

The two became instant friends. Harvey explained that he had purchased the instrument at a consignment store in Black Mountain.

“As far as I know it's the only f-style octave mandolin with a resonator in the world,” he said. “I know that sounds like a baseball statistic, but it's true.”

<p>There's a certain freedom in not knowing exactly where you are heading from day to day. </p><p>“We are traveling from Asheville to ... we don't know where, but we like the idea of Colorado, although we might hit New Orleans first,” said Kevin Harvey, 26, standing on the sidewalk of Hendersonville's Main Street on Friday, taking a break to play his shiny octave mandolin for passersby. </p><p>Beside him stood Meadow Lark, a silky smooth brown mare who was relaxing and enjoying herself in the mid-60-degree temperatures. </p><p>Five feet away sat Harvey's fiancée, Hannah Lauzon, who was deep in thought repairing a nyckelharpa, an instrument played with a bow that she described as Sweden's national instrument. </p><p>Beside their horse leaned a mountain bike. Lauzon will be riding Meadow Lark and Harvey will be riding his mountain bike from Swannanoa to Colorado — at least that's the plan for the moment — with Olive following close behind.</p><p>Harvey's hodgepodge group was passing through town, they explained, while playing some music on their way, collecting tips to use for meals and other expenses.</p><p>“There are no deadlines in our world,” Harvey said with a smile. “Anything we tell you about our destinations is tentative. We tend to just go through towns because we want to play. We play music and meet people wherever we are.” </p><p>Lauzon is a recent graduate of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, where she earned her bachelor's degree in biology last year. But biology didn't matter Friday. Sitting near her future husband, with her trusty steed and her sleeping dog, Olive, lying asleep beneath her feet, Lauzon deliberately carved her nyckleharpa keys thinner to counteract the humidity in the air. </p><p>“They say if you are going to be a nyckleharpa player, you have to be a nyckleharpa mechanic,” she said. </p><p>“They should say that about a horse, too,” Harvey added with a laugh.</p><p>Harvey is a recent graduate of UNCA with a music technology degree. </p><p>“They have the best professors in the world,” he said as he resumed playing his mandolin in front of Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique. As he started to talk about his favorite UNCA professor, the “inspirational” Jude Weinberg, a local musician walking by stopped in his tracks, transfixed by Harvey's playing. </p><p>“What is that?” asked Rob McGregor of Flat Rock. “It looks like a mandolin but it's so big. I want one! The resonator really projects.”</p><p>The two became instant friends. Harvey explained that he had purchased the instrument at a consignment store in Black Mountain. </p><p>“As far as I know it's the only f-style octave mandolin with a resonator in the world,” he said. “I know that sounds like a baseball statistic, but it's true.”</p><p>Reach Tanker at 828694-7871 or nancy.tanker@blueridgenow.com.</p>